Details about separate online and in-person hourly rates

For years, tutors have been requesting the ability to offer separate hourly rates for in-person and online tutoring. The big reason for this is that in-person tutoring is generally more expensive for tutors to offer because it requires extra time and cost for travel. It also means that tutors can be filtered out of a student’s search results based on price filters, even if that tutor supports a lower-cost online tutoring option, as the higher in-person rate is often the primary hourly rate listed on a tutor’s profile.

Starting on December 12, 2018, we are pleased to make this functionality available to tutors.

Using the separate rates strategically

Since tutors already have the ability to change their hourly rate on a per student basis, the data shows that on average, in-person rates are 15% higher than online rates. This makes sense given the additional travel cost and time required for in-person lessons. With online tutoring, not only do you save time and money, but you can also have a fuller schedule by working with students in multiple time zones.

Offering students a lower hourly rate for online tutoring can help encourage them to try it out. And what we’ve seen is that despite some initial hesitation, when students try online tutoring, they love it. In fact, on average students have 20% more lessons online than in-person.

While online tutoring is growing in popularity at a rapid rate, many students still do opt for in-person lessons. The capability to maintain separate hourly rates for online and in-person tutoring will provide you with the control you need to effectively manage your offering for these two different markets, and will give you an additional tool to help manage the transition to the 25% platform fee.

What you can expect on December 12

A full explanation of this new functionality will be shared when it is launched on December 12, 2018. For now, here are some of the highlights we are most excited about:

• Tutors who are certified for online tutoring will have the option to set a separate online hourly rate from their Rates and Policies page and through the iOS and Android Mobile tutor apps.

• Then, depending on a student’s search - in-person or online - we will show the corresponding rate in search results and on your profile.

• As we know some tutors provide both in-person and online tutoring for the same student, you will be able to manage two separate custom rates for each student from you Student Connections page.

• Finally, for tutors that are certified to tutor online and have chosen to be included in online search results, both the in-person and online hourly rates will be listed in the Policies section on your public tutor profile.